Did You Miss Tanya Veit's Live "Dichroic Odyssey" Webinar?

If you didn't have a chance to participate in Tanya Veit's live "Dichroic Odyssey" webinar hosted by Glass Patterns Quarterly, you can now own the recorded version.  While you won't have the same live experience of having your questions answered live by Tanya, you will receive a recorded data DVD version of the webinar, handouts in pdf form and the recorded chat room. 

Learn a new combination of glass fusing techniques from Tanya that are shared in this recorded webinar that is over 2 hours in length.  You will have an up close look as Tanya works liquid pattern bars, frit and engraving into one piece of jewelry.   

***NOTE this is a data DVD to be played on your computer***

AAEGlass.com has a few pattern bar molds left at a $10 discount.  These molds were special ordered and when they are gone, they are gone. 

Expand your glass fusing knowledge in the comfort of your own home.

SUPPLY LIST LINKS

CBS Thin Smooth Dichroic Glass
Waffle Grid Engraving Surface
Needle Tip Bottle
Engraving Bits for Rotary Tool
Tree of Life Decals
Bullseye Standard Black Glass (25% Off)
Specialty Pattern Bar Mold (Limited supply, $10 off)
Bullseye Coarse Frit
Beetle Bits Cutting System

AAE Glass Fusing Video Projects

AAE GLASS

AAE Glass and Tanya Veit want to introduce you to our YouTube channel and all of our glass fusing projects and tutorials in one place.  If you haven't had a chance to view these videos you will see all of our video projects, as well as David Alcala's videos and a tour of our glass teaching studio in Cape Coral, Florida.  You can subscribe to our YouTube channel and receive updates every time Tanya posts a new video.  She is working on some new techniques now in between Extreme Fusing classes. 


AAE Glass has some big ideas and projects in store for 2012.  We want to share as much information with you as we can to help you grow both your art and business.


Thank you to everyone who has supported us through the years and for those of you who are just finding us, we look forward to helping you ASAP.


AAE

100 Followers!

AAEGlass.com

We at AAEGlass.com would like to thank everyone who has joined this blog. We just reached 100 followers this week. We have fun here. I hope that we have provided some valuable information. We have learned so much from several of you. That 's what this blog is about...sharing information. We each know something that someone else doesn't.

If you have any suggestions on topics or techniques, please feel free to share. We will be happy to promote your business with a picture and a link to your store. I know I like checking out new and different artists. I think others would be interested as well.

Again, THANK YOU!!! Without all of you, we wouldn't have anyone to write for.

AAE

Thank You for Your Entry

AAEGlass.com

We received over 50 entries to this months contest. We have narrowed down the contestants and are finalizing the results now. We will announce the winners tomorrow on this blog.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a dichroic glass pendant.

Tune in tomorrow to see if your pendant is the winner.

AAE

25% Sale on Selected Fused Glass Decals

AAEGlass.com

9 selected low fire fused glass decals are now 25% off until tomorrow only. Use coupon code AAE25

Spring is coming and Art Show season is almost here. Stock up now.

If you would like to promote any Art Shows, feel free to comment on this post. We will be happy to share with everyone.

AAE

Glass Fusing Decals

We wanted to get your feedback on your experience with our glass fusing decals. If you have had success or trouble using them, please share with us. If you ever have any questions at all, you can email us at info@aaeglass.com. We will be releasing a new, must have, fusing decal very shortly. This fusing decal will be sure to increase your Christmas sales.

Visit www.aaeglass.com for our full assortment of glass fusing decals and supplies.

AAE

Dichroic Glass Jewelry Artist of the Week Cynthia Valenzo

Cynthia's Etsy shop: http://ccvalenzo.etsy.com

I have been in love with glass nearly all of my life. About 20 years ago I decided I wanted to make stained glass panels for my Kitchen Cabinets so I went and took lessons at a local shop. After making lamps and many commissions later I decided I wanted to do a contemporary piece with fused glass pieces for my foyer Transom and side windows so I went and took a class in fusing.

There wasn’t a lot of information available. They primarily explained the chemicals, glass and rough fusing cycles and the rest was experimenting on your own. This was about 12 years ago. Since that time I have designed Glass Tiles, started playing with making jewelry with all of the scraps and working a full time job. In 2002 the company I worked for was bought out in a merger so with my severance package I ended a 30 year corporate career and went into the glass business.

A few years ago I had a B&M shop where I taught and sold fusing supplies. It was great fun and I met many wonderful people, but I spent more time teaching and managing the business and had little time left for creating. I closed the store and moved the studio to my home and since have had more time devoted to creating and working not only with glass but precious metals and semi precious stones. I work more hours than I did in the corporate world but the fulfillment in being able to work with glass and the challenges of continually creating new things is a constant joy. My husband is a retired electrician and serves as my quality control, maintenance and shipping department. I don’t know what I would do without him.

Working with glass is such a joy and challenge and every time I open the kiln and see what comes out it’s a roller coaster ride. There are a lot of disappointing moments when the kiln Gods have decided to laugh at you, but the joy of a beautiful piece really outweighs the disappointing moments. Being able to enhance the glass with Decals, Etching and Sand Blasting just to name a few makes it even more rewarding and keeps me pushing the envelope looking for the next plateau. Best of all are all of the people I have met all over the world with my internet business.

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Thank you Cynthia for sharing. If you would like to submit yourself as "Artist of the Week" please send us an email at info@aaeglass.com Include 2 pictures of your jewelry as well as a blurb about you and your company. We look forward to hearing from everyone. \

Also, we have a new decal coming that will knock your socks off. Hang tight!

AAE

Tip #5 - Craft Show Season

With Christmas just a few months away, craft show season is upon us. Labor Day typically kicks off a long stretch of craft shows across the country, which culminate with Christmas. We have done many craft shows and fairs in our day, but haven't done any in a few years.

We get questions every week about tips on how to best prepare for a craft show. To be honest, we are not the best source of information, because we don't participate in craft shows as often as other artist friends.

So for this weeks tip, we are asking for your help. If you have any tips or suggestions on how to run a smooth booth at a craft fair, please click on the comment button directly below and share with us. I understand artist don't want to give away any secrets and we understand. We are just looking for suggestions on organization, display techniques and other general information.

If you are in an upcoming craft show, click the comment button below and tell us when and where. We have a diverse group of artists on our blog and I'm sure they would love to see local artists if at all possible. So take advantage of the FREE promotion.

Be sure to stock up on your dichroic glass fusing supplies and decals for Christmas season. www.aaeglass.com It will be here before you know it.

AAE

Dichroic glass artist of the week Judy Anderson

I am a retired family counselor. I moved from Arlington Heights, IL to AZ a couple of years ago with my husband and my 2 Pembroke Welsh Corgis. My son and daughter-in-law and my 2 adorable grandchildren live here also.

I love glass fusing and use art glass and dichroic glass in my designs. It is so exciting to open the kiln and see what it has created. I cut the glass and layer and fuse it, but the kiln has a mind of its own. The new decals I have been firing into my glass are beautiful and add a whole new dimension to my glass work. I especially like the decals that reflect nature.

My other joy is that my grandchildren are fascinated by my glass. When they are old enough I know they will want me to teach them the process and nothing makes me happier than spending time with them.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5219638&ga_search_query=firefly&ga_search_type=seller_usernames
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Thank you for sharing Judy. Your 10 free decals will be in the mail on Monday.
Judy will also be named in our news letter. Please take a moment to click on the link above and view Judy's work.

If you want to be featured as an artist of the week, email us at info@aaeglass.com with 2 pictures and a blurb about you and your business. We are having a great time with this.

Tip #4 Coldworking with Dichroic Glass Jewelry

Cold working: Revolution XT Tile Saw review

I usually save all my cold working on my dichroic glass jewelry for one day of the week and do it for about 8-10 hours straight. Cold working is not my favorite thing to do. I often receive emails on how I shape my pieces since my fused glass pieces are so thick.

I would not be able to have such thick pieces and cut them without some serious equipment. I thought I would share with you my personal opinion on the Revolution XT Saw by Gemini. This saw allows me flexibility with my pieces. I have been using this saw for 2 years. It is a workhorse and can cut through anything, however, this is a high maintenance saw. I paid 1350.00 for the saw. The replacement parts are hard to find and they are expensive. A blade costs about 150.00, replacement kit is about 300.00 and I would suggest replacing the saw blade 3-4 times a year. www.hisglassworks.com has most of the parts. There customer service is excellent and they have fast shipping.

Cleaning this saw, is not fun. It is a major chore, but doable on your own.

The good stuff...this saw can cut through 6 and 7 layer pieces with precision and little glass chipping. The diamond blades last a long time and I usually cut 100 pieces or more. It is very safe and comfortable to use. In addition, this is a heavy, sturdy piece of equipment and has a self contained water pump. What does this mean? It means I use it INSIDE my studio with little water mess.

Does anyone else use this particular saw, or a similar one? Please comment if you do. I would love to hear your experiences.

Visit www.aaeglass.com to view examples.

Refer a friend for 15% off your next order

AAE Glass would like your help in recruiting more followers to our blog. So, for a limited time, if you refer a friend who signs up and follows this blog, you will receive 15% off your next order of glass fusing decals.

We will also give your friend 15% off their first order of glass fusing decals. It is very easy. Just mention the coupon code "blog15" and tell us who you referred and we will adjust your total. If you want to email us and let us know, info@aaeglass.com will work as well.

We hope we are providing helpful information and products to you. We would love to hear what you have to say as well. Click on the "comment" button below the post and tell us what you think. If you have any tips that will help other artists, we would love to hear those as well.

We will have a new tip for you in the next couple of days.

AAE

Tip #3 Keeping bubbles out of your dichroic glass jewelry pendants and decals

AAE GLASS DECALS
One of the biggest enemies to any dichroic glass fused pendant jeweler is the dreaded bubble. No matter how hard we try, sometimes a bubble creeps into our pieces and is it unavoidable. It is frustrating when working with fusible glass water slide decals and a bubble appears just above the decal. Hopefully we can offer you a few tips on how to avoid the curse of the bubble in your decals. While there is no sure fire way to avoid a bubble, following these 4 steps should help.

1-Once the decal is applied, blot out any excess water with a paper towel.
2-When the excess water is removed, wrap the paper towel around your fore finger and GENTLY brush the entire decal design after the excess water is removed. Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles or folds in the decal.
3-You must let the decal dry for at least 12 hours before firing the glass.
4-***HOT TIP*** If you are in a hurry and can't wait 12 hours to fire, use a blow dryer at close range for 20 minutes.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@aaeglass.com. 

***Stay tuned for a complete new style of decal that AAE Glass has developed.  They will be released in early 2014!  We have received the proofs and Tanya has adjusted to her specifications.  They are currently in print and when available, will be announced to all.***

AAE Glass

Looking to feature artists

We want to give you artists yet another outlet to promote your jewelry. We are looking to feature a glass jewelry artist per week on this blog. You may ask; What will this do for me and my business? Here is what it will do...

1-We will devote a blog entry just to you and your jewelry.
2-We will post 2 pictures of your finished product (using water slide decals purchased from AAE).
3-We will share a "blurb" about you and your business.
4-We will post a link to your store.
5-You will win 10 FREE tree of life water slide decals.

The first featured artist will be selected on Monday Aug. 10th.

Here is how you enter for a chance to be featured:
1-Click on the "comment" button below this post.
2-Give us some history on you and your business.
3-Give us a link to your store or web page.
4-Email us 2 pictures of your finished jewelry using these water slide decals.

We can't wait to see what everyone has to offer.

AAE

The 3 day decal sale has begun

Several people have taken advantage of 20% off dichroic water slide fusing decals this morning. We still have some new designs available and the sale goes through Monday. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies We have sold out of a few designs so be sure to secure yours today.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you, or if you have any questions.

AAE

Tip #2 Photographing Dichroic Glass Jewelry

The business of making and selling dichroic glass jewelry has many steps. None more important than photographing the jewelry so it sells fast and for a good price. Many times the difference between making a sale and not making a sale is the quality of the photo. I wanted to share some of my experiences with you, what works, what doesn't.

I have tried everything I can think of to improve my pictures. I have taken thousands of pictures over the years. I have spent hundreds of dollars on photo domes, photo cubes, cloud domes etc, and I wasn't happy with any of the pictures. After talking to a family friend, during Thanksgiving dinner, he gave me the best picture taking advice I have ever received. I started doing this 2 years ago and it has never failed...You can reach in the couch cushions or under your car seat to come up with the $2.99 it will cost you to purchase this top notch photo apparatus. Don't laugh. Are you ready? I purchased a gallon of milk, ate a few bowls of cereal and followed these five easy steps:

1.) Soak the labels off your empty milk gallon.

2.) Cut the milk gallon in half all the way around.

3.) Place your jewelry piece on your desired background.

4.) Place the milk carton over the jewelry piece and your background, place the lens of your digital camera in the top of the milk carton and click away.

5.) Take your photos outside. The best time of day is 2-5p.m. when it is slightly overcast or even a little shady. Direct sunlight is not good, it will only over-expose your photos.

If you look at our pictures in the store, they are clear and sharp with no glare spots. These have all been taken with the handy milk carton. http://www.artfire.com/users/AAE-artglass

So if you have a taste for Lucky Charms and need an apparatus to take great pictures, head out to your local grocer and pick up a gallon of milk. You won't be sorry :)

The following items have been released or will be released this Saturday. Please follow our blog to take advantage of 20% off your water slide decal orders from Saturday 8/2 through Monday 8/4. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies Purchase your decals, enter "blog 20" in the note to seller section and we will send you a revised paypal invoice.

1-Red and 22 kt. gold lily decal.
2-Red rose decal
3-Large and small 22 kt. gold butterfly mini sheet.
4-Large and small yellow single rose decals.
5-Round and square wine bottle stopper blanks.
6-Various sized wholesale cords and jewelry necklaces.

New Water Slide Decal Designs: Saturday

We will be releasing 2 new, water slide decals this Saturday at 12pm. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies These designs are brand new and limited in number.

We appreciate everyone who takes the time to bookmark our blog and follow. We have received some great notes from you this week, thank you. In appreciation we are offering 20% off decal orders from Saturday 8/2 through Monday 8/4. Just let us know that you follow the blog when you order (must sign up as a follower).

Along with the new designs, we will also be releasing square top bottle stopper blanks for below wholesale price. We created these square blanks and they can only be found in our store. We will have some round as well.

Tomorrow we will be posting our 2nd tip which will touch on photographing your pieces to sell. The goal is to take pictures that pop off the screen at the buyers. Hopefully we can offer some useful information. Here is a link to my store if you want to take a look at some pictures. I am still experimenting, but have found this to be one of the more "fun" parts of the process. http://www.artfire.com/users/AAE-artglass

Again, thank you everyone for following and I will be back tomorrow with tip #2.

AAE

Thank you and stay tuned

First off, we would like to thank everyone who purchased our decals and jewelry this weekend. We received some new inventory of items that sold out and have updated our store. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies

We can't wait to see the pieces you make. In fact, we are going to feature artists on this blog. So if you make a piece of jewelry using our water slide decals, send us a picture and a little blurb about your business, we will write a blog specific to you, with a picture of your jewelry and we will link your store as well. Free advertising anyone? All decals have been shipped.

If you are not a jewelry maker, but enjoy wearing dichroic glass jewelry, visit our store with made pieces. We will be adding new pieces daily. http://www.artfire.com/users/AAE-artglass

For you decal lovers, we will release a featured custom decal every Saturday. Be sure to check back often.

Have a great week.

AAE

Mighty tree of life and original tree of life are ready to order and pre-order

As promised, both tree of life decals are available for purchase at. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies

The Mighty tree of life is in stock and ready to ship, while the original tree of life will be ready to ship August 8th. We wanted to give our blog followers first chance to purchase both decals before anyone else, hence the pre-order on the original tree of life. Again, please email us to let us know that you are a blog follower to receive your 10% discount.

The original tree of life decal is on the top left. On the top right is a picture of a pendant I made with the new Mighty tree of life.

If you have any questions let us know. We expect these decals to be sold this weekend, so please act quickly.

Thank you for your loyalty.

AAE

New fused glass waterslide decals

We have new fused glass waterslide decals coming out in the next couple of days.

I wanted to post it on the blog and give you first chance to order. Please contact me if you want me to hold either of these for you. There will also be some 3 and 4 colored decals available in the very near future.

These decals as well as our current stock is HERE

Stay tuned for more custom decals and sale opportunities.

Have a great day

Glass Fusing Decals are now Available for Purchase.

Fused glass waterslide decals are finally available!!!
Art glass fusible, decal images, created by A.A.E. Art Glass are in stock and ready to ship.

DECAL AND SUPPLY STORE

We have received several emails over the past years with inquiries about selling our original images to other glass artists. We have spent the last few months putting all of our decals together and we are finally ready to release them to the public.
These decals are great for your dichroic jewelry.

If you are viewing this blog and it has little to no activity, you are at the front of the line to purchase. We didn't want to release any decals until we were organized and able to handle the expected volume. So, we apologize to our artist friends who wanted these months ago. We wanted to make sure we were prepared to handle the expected volume and meet your expectations.

The decals will be sold in various sample packs ranging from 10 decals to 100 decals. As an added bonus to being in "the front of the line," we will also offer an option to purchase some of our most popular, original designs, such as the Tree of Life (The picture on top is the finished product. The picture on the bottom is the decal). This jewelry has a proven record of selling on the internet as well as in galleries and at art shows.

We will include a set of instructions on how to best fire these decals. Some are Hi fire and some are Low fire. If you prefer one over the other, just let us know.

Our goal is to help other artists access creative material. As artists, we are always looking for the "next big thing" or the "latest in technology." With these decals, your creative side will be put to the test. Your mind will be opened to a whole new experience.

We thank all of our loyal followers for their patience and we welcome our new artistic friends to the ride. If you have any questions at all, we are happy to answer them. If you want to see jewelry we have made with these exact decals, please visit our store A.A.E. Glass Art.

We wish everyone luck and good fortune.

A.A.E. Glass Art